This Is Halloween
by Cardinal Rose
Summary: Halloween 1976. A missing scene from I Solemnly Swear. Halloween-y fluff and some Marauder antics.


**Authors Note:**

**Hi all! This is the not very Halloween-y, Halloween one shot I promised.**

**It's basically just a missing scene from I Solemnly Swear, so you should ideally be familiar with that or this won't make much sense.**

**As for me, I own nothing. Not Harry Potter, the song This Is Halloween, not even The Rocky Horror Picture Show.**

**Please enjoy!**

**Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone! Be safe but have fun!**

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October 31, Halloween, Samhain for those more old-fashioned members of the population. A day of horrors made merry, of tricking and treating, of pranking and costuming. In short, the best day on Earth. Deep in Hogwarts Castle, the festivities were just about to begin. The five tables groaned under the weight of the feast the House Elves had slaved over, a rich aroma filling the air. High above the tables, bats fluttered around floating candles, while carved pumpkins hovered here and there. At the top of the Gryffindor Table, the Marauders held court. For the first time in living memory, the sixth years sat together - although Lily Evans did continue to ignore James Potter while glaring daggers at Sirius Black. Rose cheerfully ignored her sister's displeasure, too busy debating with Remusnabout whether or not Diamond Dogs counted as a Halloween song. Rose argued that it did - it had the lyrics 'Halloween Jack' in it, therefore it had to count. Besides, Remus clearly had no clue as he preferred Toccata and Fugue. Remus turned to the other Marauders for backup, clearly assured of his own victory. Peter shrugged, mouth full of the delicacies on offer, leaving that minefield to the braver Marauders. Remus was fine until he lost (he hated losing), and Rose could be vindictive for no reason when she wanted to be. James took his time deliberating, mulling over each choice while he finished a drumstick from Sirius' plate. The handsome dog animagus on the other hand just rolled his eyes like he couldn't believe he was stuck in the middle of this lunacy. "Don't be an idiot, Moony - of bloody course it counts."

"Told you, Rem!" Rose grinned with delight, spontaneously leaning over to kiss Sirius on the cheek. "At least one Marauder knows his music." Sirius hid his expression (undoubtedly a smirk, knowing Sirius) behind his goblet, while James pointedly shook his head at him as if they were having one of their weird wordless discussions. Rose shrugged at Remus' frown, not knowing what was going on between the ringleader Marauders either. Remus frowned deeper, but apparently dismissed it, offering Peter some more gravy to drown his mashed potatoes in.

Some time later, a realisation slowly dawned on the Hogwarts students. It was Halloween, and as of yet, there had been no diabolical Marauder prank. The realisation would likely have dawned earlier, but the food was especially delicious this year, thanks no doubt to the Marauders leaving the food without any magical additives. Very soon, all the eyes in the hall were darting furtively towards the five notorious pranksters, each trying to ascertain what exactly they were up to this time. Even the Professors were in on it. Dumbledore, on the other hand, sat at the High Table with his typical serene smile, looking for all the world as though nothing could phase him. James smirked slowly, enjoying the palpable sense of trepidation within the Hall. Rose knew that Remus would chide him under any other circumstances, but they were the Marauders and it was Halloween; they lived for this sort of thing. Last year, they had memorably forced the Slytherins to go through the entire feast (and until after Sirius' birthday) with ludicrously carved pumpkins over their heads, while the Ravenclaws had wings for the night, the Puffers had megadoses of cheering charms, and the Gryffindor spontaneously roared like lions whenever the mood took them. Another year, they charmed a heartfelt version of Dracula out of root vegetables. This year, though, they'd dreamed up something a little more different. It wasn't pranky per se, but they felt it was keeping in the tradition of both Halloween and the pranks they'd implemented so far that year. Nevertheless, Rose felt a little unsure about its reception, especially among the younger members of the castle.

"Everyone's waiting for the next surprise" Remus observed dryly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"It would be remiss of us to keep them waiting" Sirius replied mournfully. "Life's not fun without a good prank."

"This is Halloween, after all" James agreed, his smirk turning into an irresponsible grin. With no further ado, he climbed up onto the bench and clapped his hands loudly. "Happy Halloween, Hogwarts!"

Under the table, Sirius, Remus and Rose waved their wands, activating the spell Remus had placed upon the hall earlier that day. Instantly, the Hall was filled with smoke, students gasping as they could not even see their hands in front of their faces. As the fog cleared, the first thing that was evident was the absence of the High Table. Professors were, for once, littered throughout the Students. Professor Sprout sat with the Hufflepuffs, Flitwick with the Ravenclaws, the Slug with the snakes, and McGonagall with the Gryffindors. Dumbledore also joined the Gryffindor table, while everyone else was randomly assigned. Suddenly, from all corners of the Hall, there came a mournful tune, slow and ethereal. Then, from out of apparently nowhere (although apparation was impossible inside Hogwarts), what could only be described as a skeleton troupe, trooped in. One of the skeletons was even dressed for the occasion, resplendent in fishnet stockings, red high heels and a leather sort of bodice. James, still stood upon the bench like an orchestra conductor, raised his wand like a baton, and brought it down with a dramatic swish.

Music filled the air, and the skeleton troupe, bedecked in their unusual costumes, began to sing. "Boys and girls of every age, would you like to see something strange? Stay with us and you will see, this our story for Halloween..."

What followed is too bizzare to truly narrate, even for the Marauders. Suffice to say, fifty skeletons did the time warp, another crooned to the castle that he was just a sweet transvestite, yet another sang that she wanted to be touched, and a final most certainly had the time of his death riding a motorcycle and yelling that he really loved rock and roll. They circuited the entire hall, mingled with the students (especially during the Sweet Transvestite moment, which freaked the Slytherin students out to end), and finally flung a sparkly feather boa around Dumbledore's neck.

During the final act, the Marauders slipped out of the hall unheeded, high on the triumph of their prank. Behind them, spiders showered from the ceiling, covering their fellow students with the only 'mean' portion of their prank. They slipped easily out into the grounds, the safest place on this night. James crowed with delight, sending his laughter up to the cold night sky. "Did you see Snivelly's face?" he laughed, the slight tension he'd been carrying the past few months banished.

"Pranks are fleeting, but good memories last forever" Sirius agreed, grey eyes dancing in the moonlight.

"Trick or treat?" Rose muttered to herself, watching the antics of the dark haired Marauders as they cast various spooky charms into the sky.

"Grab your favourite sweets and relax" Remus smiled, bar of chocolate in his hand. "This year is going to be a bumpy ride." Soon enough, the Marauders banded together and tripped back into the castle, still high on life. Not even McGonagall's mild irritation would put a dent in their unending enthusiasm and joy. This was Halloween; nothing bad could ever happen to the Marauders on this day.

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**Thank you for reading!**


End file.
